District 9 Class AA Playoff Home

NEW BETHLEHEM – Familiar foes will face off Friday night in the District 9 Class AA Championship game at Redbank Valley when third-seeded Brockway plays top-seeded Karns City at 7 p.m.

The Rovers (6-4) and Gremlins (9-1) have met in the past two D9 Class AA title games with Karns City coming out on top both times (36-8 in 2000 & 46-0) last season. The Gremlins have won the past three D9 Class AA titles and four of the last five having beaten Brookville 14-7 in 1999 and Port Allegany 13-9 in 1997.

Overall since D9 started a district playoff in 1987, Karns City has won five D9 Class AA titles (1993, 97, 99, 2000, 2001) the most by a Class AA team. Brockway has won one title (1987).

Both teams got to the title game with wins in the opening round of the playoffs last week. Brockway went on the road and stunned second-seeded Brookville 41-12, while Karns City handled Moniteau 69-23 at home.

The teams have had very different seasons.

Brockway started the season with three straight wins but then dropped four of its next five games. The Rovers, though, won their final regular season game and last week’s playoff game.

Karns City, meanwhile, lost in Week One to Clarion-Limestone and has since run off nine straight wins winning eight of those nine games by at least 10 points.

One of the reasons for the inconsistent play of Brockway this season might be traced to the Rovers going away from their tradition Double Wing offense for part of the season. But Brockway put the Double Wing back in two weeks ago and have since put up 41 points in each game after averaging 24.6 ppg in the first eight.

"We are more confident running the Double Wing," Brockway head coach Ray Reckner said. "The players have run it since seventh grade, and the line is familiar with the blocking schemes. So it has not been a difficult transition."

Reckner said while the offense is basically the same as the one run last year, there is a small change to it.

"We changed the motion of the backs," Reckner said. "They are a lot closer to the line (of scrimmage) now."

Karns City head coach Ed Conto said defending Brockway’s Double Wing presents challenges to the Gremlins.

"It is very tough for us because we don’t see it at all down here," Conto said. "The last couple of season we played teams that played a similar style of offense, but this year we are not going to be experienced against it like we where the two previous years."

Conto also said the Double Wing fits the Brockway talent very well.

"They have huge guys (up front) who knock you off the ball," Conto said. "They also have four good running backs that make them a better team."

While the Rovers have gone back to the Double Wing, one of the side effects of trying to run a more wide-open offense for part of the season is that the Rovers have a solid passing game that was almost non-existent in the pass.

Junior quarterback John Himes is 56-for-117 passing for 839 yards and nine touchdowns while throwing seven interceptions.

"We have shown that we can throw the ball very efficiently this year," Reckner said. "Himes has done a great job at quarterback. Tom Bussard (24 catches, 511 yards, 5 TDs) has done a great job at receiver, and the backs have done a great job catching the ball. It has been a real plus for our offense. We are a more balanced football team."

Reckner things the presence of a passing game will help the Rovers in their attempt to turn around the results of the last two D9 Class AA title games.

"If Karns City wants to put 11 men at the line of scrimmage this year like they have done in the past, we will try to open it up by throwing the football," Reckner said. "I think we can throw it successfully now. We are a two-dimensional football team."

Conto said his team won’t change the way it plays defense just because Brockway can pass the football.

"We play our defense to stop the run in the first place and force the pass," Conto said. "We would rather lose the game in the air. There is nothing more demoralizing then someone going and sticking the ball down your throat. We aren’t going to change our stance on that."

While Conto said his team will try to stop the run first, he also said the Gremlins will respect the pass.

"We have always respected the pass," Conto said. "Our defensive backs and in man-to-man coverage, and that is their job (to stop the pass and not look in the backfield). It is no different than our normal philosophy."

The second dimension to the Rovers this year is the rushing game. Brockway has rushed for 1,910 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2002.

Jeremy Sickeri leads the rushing attack with 168 carries for 810 yards and 10 touchdowns.

But Sickeri isn’t the only horse for the Rovers. Seth Rhed (42 carries, 283 yards, 4 touchdowns) and Andy Martino (45 carries, 222 yards, 6 touchdowns) rotate at the fullback spot, while Jon Cantafio (102 carries, 371 yards, 3 touchdowns) also sees a lot of action.

"I think just from watching game films for us to be successful on offense against Karns City we believe we are going to have to throw the football," Reckner said. "We believe we can. We have some kids who can go up and get the ball. Karns City will play the ‘monster 5-2’ defense and will probably play the run first. We will need to pass the ball to loosen them up."

Conto said one of the reasons the Gremlins concentrate on stopping the run first is because it makes it easier for the defense to play.

"Anytime you can put people in situations where you know what they are going to do, it is easier to defend them," Conto said. "If you stop Brockway and put them in long situations, you know they are going to throw the ball."

On offense Karns City has shown the ability to both run and pass the football. The Gremlins have run for 2,452 yards and 43 yards and passed for 1,030 and nine touchdowns.

Leading the Karns City rushing attack is Matt Carnahan. Carnahan has rushed 161 times for 1,345 yards and 24 touchdowns.

"Matt is a strong runner and a go-to back," Conto said. "He can play both the fullback and tailback positions, which has allowed us to open up our offense."

While Carnahan carries the balk of the workload on the ground for Karns City, the Gremlins have four other players who have shown the ability to tote the football.

Jordan Collins has rushed 68 times for 263 yards and two touchdowns, quarterback Erik Fuhrer has 46 carries for 254 yards and six touchdowns, Josh Fiscus has 29 carries for 216 yards and two scores, and Mike Stitt has carried the ball 33 times for 171 yards and five touchdowns. Stitt scored three touchdowns last week against Moniteau.

"We have three young tailbacks and a young fullback who are all playing well," Conto said. "You can’t just key on Matt, because the other guys will hurt you. Someone has stepped up each week for us."

In the air, Fuhrer is 71-for-143 passing for 968 yards and nine touchdowns while throwing five interceptions.

"Erik has finally gotten to the point where he has really helped us by being able to check off at the line," Conto said. "That is really when you have a good quarterback.

"He is also starting to develop the option game, and he knows when to pitch the ball and when to keep it. When you have a guy who throws well, who can drop back and run the ball, who can run the option and now be able to check off and put you in the right place you are in a good position."

"Fuhrer is an excellent ball player," Reckner said. "He can run the ball, and he throws the ball well. He is a big, tall quarterback."

Fuhrer has spread the ball around with five different receivers catching at least seven passes.

Noll Steiner leads the group with 26 catches for 333 yards and three touchdowns. Nate Wilson has 16 grabs for 313 yards and five scores. Kevin Trimbur has 10 catches for 97 yards, Carnahan has nine catches for 93 yards and David Black has seven grabs for 83 yards and a score.

Reckner believes for Brockway to be successful the Rovers will have to slow down the Karns City ground game first.

"We have to stop Carnahan and Fuhrer," Reckner said. "The first key is to stop the running game and force them to pass the football. If we do that, we believe we are in good shape just like we were last week against Brookville. We are going to give them different looks on defense."

Considering Brockway has lost to Karns City in the past three title games, Reckner doesn’t believe he will have a hard time getting his team up for the game. Nor does he believe there will be a let down after last week’s big win over Brookville.

"It won’t be hard getting this team up," Reckner said. "We just need to emphasize to them that we are good enough to play with Karns City. Karns City is a very good team, but they are not as good as they were last year. If we come out and play hard, there is a good chance we can win the game.

"I am also not worried about a letdown. If we play our ‘A’ game, no team in the district can stay with us. We have been telling the kids that all season. The key is to peak at the right time."

Conto doesn’t believe his team will take Brockway lightly just because the Gremlins have beaten them handily the last two years.

"Almost all of our players were sitting on the bench last year because of the talent in front of them," Conto said. "This year people said we were going to down, and we didn’t start out well. But we are not the same team as we were at the start of the year. We are not as talented as last year’s team, but we are more of a team this year. These kids want to make a road for themselves. That is the nice thing. (The tradition) is something that they want to keep up with."

Reckner also believes some of the adversity his team faced earlier in the year will and has helped them in the playoffs.

"We have faced some adversity this year," Reckner said. "This is like our third playoff game. If we hadn’t beaten Youngsville in the last game of the season, we weren’t going to the playoffs. The way we have handled the adversity shows the quality of team we have. We believe in ourselves, and the players didn’t lose faith."